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In the rapidly growing cities of the Global South, and Africa in particular, urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) is increasingly recognized as a survival strategy both by researchers and international development organizations. While UPA is well researched, direct links to economic crisis and class variations in participation have only received limited attention in the Nigerian context. This study focuses on Benin City, the second largest city in Nigeria's southern oil producing region, where repeated and unpredictable fluctuations in oil prices have significant implications for livelihoods. The paper discusses the results of field-based data collected using qualitative research methods (observation, in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys) in Benin City, Southern Nigeria, where there is a dearth of published material on the practice of UPA. The paper reveals that in the context of unpredictable and frequent exposures to economic shocks, households at all socio-economic levels depend significantly on food production activities, not only for their immediate survival, but as a means of reducing household vulnerability and building resilience against future shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although low tax morale hits developing countries hardest, little is known about its determinants in those countries. This paper examines the impact of trust in public institutions and the neighbourhood on individual tax morale in four African countries. First, the paper provides theoretical foundations of such a relationship. Further, the paper uses the World Value Survey to estimate the effects of trust in public institutions and the neighbourhood on individual tax morale. The identification strategy employs the instrumental variables method and relies on historical data on the slave trade and the literature on the cultural heritage of trust. The paper finds that trust in public institutions and the neighbourhood are associated with tax morale in Algeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Nigeria. The findings are robust to an alternative identification strategy, additional controls, and a falsification test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by the work of Alistair Anderson on entrepreneurship as embedded in institutional contexts, this paper explores the experiences of 30 women micropreneurs in rural South-East Nigeria. These women are amongst the poorest people in the world and live in an environment marginalized from formal institutions, where informal ones are prioritized, and where culture and tradition reflect patriarchal limitations on their activities and experiences. We find that while microfinance is often cited as one of the key mitigators of institutional voids and an important support for entrepreneuring in deprived contexts, in fact there are critical barriers to uptake and socio-cultural conditions are found to limit the extent to which women trust and engage with microfinance. To that end, new methodologies that might mitigate perceived risks, including deepening poverty, are called for. Implications for those who would support enterprise in poverty circumstances in developing nations include that to be effective they must engage with the socio-cultural institutions and lived realities amongst the people they seek to serve. Alongside this, further application and development of the approaches to studying entrepreneurship in marginalized environments that Alistair was such as central contributor to are advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target 16.9 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the provision of legal identity for all, including birth registration by 2030. Approximately 1 billion people globally do not have basic ID credentials. To close this gap, governments in developing countries, including Nigeria, with the backing of international agencies like the World Bank, have launched digital identity schemes for residents. These schemes typically include smart cards which are required to access public and private services. The speed of implementation of these projects has come at the expense of a thorough consideration of cybersecurity and privacy. This is set against the backdrop of the rising threat of cybersecurity breaches in the world against targets such as national identity databases. This paper seeks to provide an overview of digital identity in Nigeria and use the Oxford Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Report 2019 for Nigeria to illustrate how, although progress has been made in key sectors, the implementation of the Nigeria's digital identity programme has progressed faster than cybersecurity maturity in the country. This increases the risk of cyberattacks and opens both the national identity database and users of the digital identity to security vulnerabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In January 2019, the Nigerian Government finally enacted its first competition law after several attempts to do so previously failed. Since all competition regimes advance one or more goals, the paper provides a critical evaluation of what the goals of the Nigerian Competition Law 'is' or 'are' and/or what they should be. This paper posits that discussion on goals must relate fundamentally to the true reason(s) the nation 'needs' an antitrust legislation and the relationship between these reasons (as reflected in the preamble of the legislation) and the prohibitory aspects of the law.Although the goal of competition is generally thought to be relating to promoting economic efficiency, however, for developing countries (including Nigeria), competition must compose of an important equity dimension. Ironically, the work uses the 'developed' experience of the EU in later stages to show that the goals of an antitrust policy are never static but dynamic and may not necessarily always admit of 'efficiency' considerations. This paper's argument is that Nigeria needs a welfarist approach to competition which means efficiency should sit as a top objective and that any compromise on economic efficiency as the goal must be accommodated only to the extent that basic principles of a market driven competition is not harmed. Consequently, the work reflects on how the new Nigerian law has provided a balance between market efficiency and other goals of competition and how the new Nigerian competition body can operationalise this balance in the development of the nation's antitrust policy. In this regard, the EU also provides some important enforcement lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female Internet use is at a low ebb in less developed countries, which means that females cannot participate effectively in a digital society. Consequently, this paper examined the patterns, constraints and drivers of female Internet use in Nigeria. Using spatial and aspatial techniques, we uncover spatial hot and cold spots while logistic regression analysis found that wealth status, urbanity, age, women's autonomy, and education significantly predict female Internet use. The study recommends that emphasis should be placed on gender equality and urban digital inclusion to increase female Internet use in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About half of the world's population is not connected to the Internet, and only 39% of the 1.2 billion Africans are Internet users. For technology corporations, such as Google, the unconnected represents potential market that needs to be reached. Google launched the 'Next Billion Users' project targeting the unconnected billions, and established 'Google Station', a service provided in conjunction with telecom partners to provide free WiFi service in public spaces in few developing countries. Through a critical theoretical articulation of digital coloniality, this paper examines the political economic rationale of Google's 'Google Station' in Nigeria. It exposes the market logic behind Google's interest in Nigeria, examines the reactions of Nigerians to this 'free' access to the Internet and interrogates what this reveals about the culture of innovation and development in Africa. The paper calls for a decolonial thinking about technological development. Failure to do this, Africa will continue to rely on foreign capitalist actors whose intent is to mine the market potential of Africa, but often veiled in benevolent guise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Cup is the pinnacle of Nigeria's football participation. While it brings excitement to the country, it is intricately welded to politics at ethnic, national and international levels. What this paper investigatesis Nigeria's relationship with World Cup football- and the intersection of this relationship at three levels of politics. It frames this relationship using theoretical lenses ofnationalism, pan-Africanism and post-coloniality. These frames help us to understand why Nigerians at the World Cup, support not just the Nigerian team but other African teams and teams with players of African heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grant disbursals and school-based management interventions have received growing attention from policy-makers despite their mixed success at improving educational outcomes. This paper reports results from a large-scale, cluster randomised controlled trial in Sokoto state, Nigeria. School-based management committees received a training and a grant to improve access to and quality of primary school education, especially for girls. One year after implementation, the intervention had no impact on schools' infrastructure, educational attainment or learning outcomes. Therefore, understanding the context-specific constraints to primary school education is important to avoid spending 100 million USD on a programmewith no discernible impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous knowledge (IK), a key component of knowledge, is considered crucial in any country's knowledge system. However, despite the importance of indigenous knowledge in promoting the knowledge economy, it has been observed that many indigenous knowledge systems in developing countries such as Nigeria are gradually becoming extinct due to cultural, educational and economic developments. This paper investigated the preservation and use of indigenous knowledge in public libraries in Southwest Nigeria. A survey method anchored on the positivism paradigm was employed for the study. Based on this, copies of the questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. One hundred and fifty (150) library personnel were randomly selected from the five (5) purposely chosen public libraries in Southwest Nigeria. The study's findings revealed that educational purposes were the primary reason for using the indigenous knowledge in the libraries. It was also revealed that video and audio recordings were significant sources of preserving IK in public libraries. Access to IK resources by the users was through the use of ICT tools such as computers and compact discs, while inadequate funding was identified as the major challenge facing the development of IK. The study recommends, among others, increased budgetary allocation to public libraries for the management of IK resources; and that practical steps should be taken to create awareness on the need to preserve IK activities in video or audio formats. This study contributes to knowledge in IK development by providing new data and information relevant to policymaking and IK research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is arguably one of the biggest challenges globally. In order for countries to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement, climate investments need to be scaled up for adaptation and mitigation strategies. Green bonds are one of the most emerging climate finance mechanisms for large-scale climate projects and offer investment opportunities for many developing countries. Most developing countries are heavily reliant on climate funds which are insufficient. Hence, the urgent need to tap into emerging climate finances such as green bonds. Out of all the regions, Africa is expected to be the worst impacted by climate change and green bonds can contribute to the much needed climate finances. The growth of the green bond market has been observed in the economic hubs of the continent with countries such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa demonstrating huge potential in being active and contributing to the growth of the market. However, this paper recommends that for the green bond market to further expand in these countries and rest of the continent, there needs to be public–private partnerships fostered, integrated policies, political will as well as effective institutional frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the nexus between innovation and employment growth. In contrast to most studies that employ data from technologically advanced economies, the study uses well-documented data from a leapfrogging and catching-up economy in sub-Saharan Africa. We find a positive relationship between process innovation and employment growth among Nigerian manufacturing and services firms from 2005 to 2010. Furthermore, product innovation is also positively related to employment growth in manufacturing. This study's peculiarity is that innovative firms' ability to grow rely on their operations in regional and export markets, respectively. Our study contributes to the understanding of innovation and firm development in emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovations are important sources of competitive advantage when there is a balanced rate of adoption that helps organisations maintain or improve performance levels. This paper synthesises and builds on efforts to conceptualise the adoption and implementation of technologically induced customer services in developing countries. Its point of departure is recent advances in computer-mediated marketing environments (CMMEs). It assesses relationships between customer services and evolving technologies in the provision of services in the banking sector. Using phenomenological hermeneutics and a case study approach, we iteratively engaged with data that emerged to identify core values and community-based values. These facets were further developed into seven main issues (core values: quality, education and reach, and community-based values: efficiency, usability, control and security). The paper offers practical steps by which companies and institutions may counter these issues and the theoretical implications for wider considerations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the principal aims of competition law is the protection of the consumer from economic exploitation. This the Nigerian government has done through the enactment of the long awaited Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 (FCCPA) which is a comprehensive legal framework governing competition issues in Nigeria. This paper seeks to critically appraise the regulation of competition under FCCPA. It compares the Nigerian competition regime with that of South Africa, a developing African country that appears to have evolved and successfully implemented a competition regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on an assessment of the mediation effect of a firm's business partnership on procurement planning factors influencing the quality performance of primary healthcare building facilities. A quantitative data collection approach was adopted in the study using structured questionnaires circulated to 520 respondents comprising project managers in the Nigerian construction industry. A stratified proportionate random sampling method was used for the selection of respondents which yielded 370 responses and 357 were used for analysis. Findings were that procurement planning factors influenced the quality performance of primary healthcare building facilities, and the firm's business partnerships mediate the relationship between procurement factors and quality performance of primary healthcare building facilities. This study serves as awareness to governments and other stakeholders in the construction industry on the provision of quality primary healthcare building facilities by leveraging a firm's business partnership as a mediating factor. Findings show that the relationship would enhance the rapid provision of quality healthcare building facilities for the growing population of Nigeria and other developing countries facing similar shortages of quality healthcare building facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to share our experiences with the establishment of a cost-effective policy for the utilization of limited infrastructure resources in developing nations. In particular, this paper discusses a case study of the American University of Nigeria that provides an example of the successful management of limited Internet bandwidth among a large group of users. Data from an Internet proxy server were studied to determine how traffic was allocated to different categories of digital content. The results from this study show that only a tiny fraction of expensive bandwidth was used for resources directly related to education. To address bandwidth limitations, a restrictive policy was proposed as a solution to improve the user browsing experience while not compromising access to critical resources. Preliminary policy implementation trials restricting certain applications, such as downloading large files and prohibiting Peer-to-Peer (P2P) traffic, indicated good results. The study also shows very positive financial implications of the proposed policy. These results show that limited investments in infrastructure management can significantly reduce the running expenses of the project, which facilitates its sustainability. The results of this study are of particular interest to other institutions and companies in developing nations that are facing similar expensive bandwidth problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers two emerging markets that are under- researched, Kenya and Nigeria. It offers a comprehensive view of four time properties that emerged from the empirical time series literature on asset returns: (1) the predictability of returns from past observations; (2) the auto-regressive behavior of conditional volatility; (3) the asymmetric response of conditional volatility to innovations; and (4) the conditional variance risk premium. Results of the exponential GARCH (EGARCH) model indicate that asymmetric volatility found in the U.S. and other developed markets also characterized the Nigerian stock exchange. In Kenya, however, the asymmetric volatility coefficient is significant and positive, suggesting that positive shocks increase volatility more than negative shocks of an equal magnitude. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (KSE) returns series report negative but insignificant risk-premium parameters. In Nigeria (NSE), return series exhibit a significant and positive time-varying risk premium. The results also show that expected returns are predictable, that the auto-regressive return parameters (Ø1) are significant in both Kenya and Nigeria. Finally, the GARCH parameter (ß) is statistically significant, indicating that volatility persistence is present in the two emerging markets studied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Traditionally, the focus of strategic management studies has been on technological innovation. However, recent studies have shown rising importance of non-technological innovation to firms' productivity, especially in developing country contexts. One limitation in empirical firm innovation analyses this study attempts to resolve, is the role of information sources in driving non-technological (organizational) innovation in a developing country context. Developing countries rely on knowledge from external sources to make up for their deficiencies in R&D capability to drive their innovation efforts. Using pooled, cross-sectional data from two rounds of Nigeria's Innovation Surveys, this study assesses the role of external information sources in organizational innovation practices in Nigeria. A comparative analysis of the manufacturing and service sectors was also undertaken. Using a multivariate probit analysis, our results provide strong evidence of heterogeneity in firms' information sources used in implementing organizational innovation practices in Nigeria. Most information sources which drive organizational innovation practices in manufacturing firms do not have an impact on service firms. The study recommends sector-specific polices to drive organizational innovation in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical energy is the pivot of all developmental efforts in both the developed and the developing nations. Because sources of conventional energy are finite and fast depleting, most industrialized countries have started research on solar energy as a renewable source of energy. This paper presents the present state of conventional energy generation in a developing economy like Nigeria. The efforts made in solar energy research and utilization are highlighted. A case is made for a systematic and coordinated financial investment in solar energy research and adaptation to complement energy generation from conventional sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent modest progress in reducing maternal and infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria and Malawi were still in the top 20 countries with highest rates of mortalities globally in 2015. Utilisation of professional services at delivery – one of the indictors of MDG 5 – has been suggested to reduce maternal mortality by 50%. Yet, contextual, socio-cultural and economic factors have served as barriers to uptake of such critical service. In this paper, we examined the impact of residential wealth index on utilisation of Skilled Birth Attendant in Nigeria (2003, 2008 and 2013), and Malawi (2000, 2004 and 2010) using Demographic and Health Survey data sets. The findings from multivariate logistic regressions show that women in Nigeria were 23% less likely to utilise skilled delivery services in 2013 compared to 2003. In Malawi, women were 75% more likely to utilise skilled delivery services in 2010 than in 2000. Residential wealth index was a significant predictor of utilisation of skilled delivery services over time in both Nigeria and Malawi. These findings illuminate progress made - based on which we make recommendations for achievement of SDG-3: ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages in Nigeria and Malawi, and similar context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for cities in developing societies to embed climate adaptation into policies and practices has implications for the governance system which mainly focus on governing by traditional hierarchical forms, and by network while neglecting other forms of governing. This raises fundamental questions concerning how governing arrangements support or constrain climate hazard management. The paper assesses existing approaches to adapting to climate hazards in Calabar metropolis in Nigeria, where flooding is a major hazard. The governance systems adopted in the context of flood adaptation and their implication for practice is further investigated, and the strategies necessary for an improved implementation of climate hazard adaptation at the local governance level examined. Data for the study is collected from a stakeholder workshop and document analysis. Despite calls for decentralized governance and prevalence of a hierarchical system, other forms of governing coexist alongside these systems in Calabar. Five key strategies which should form the basis of urban climate hazard adaptation in practice, as identified by stakeholders, are synergy of activities among stakeholders; enforcement devoid of politics and bureaucracy, capacity building and information/data availability; increased focus on international cooperation and funding; and consideration of connections between flooding and other urban processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is a common disease affecting the general population in developing countries. According to the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, about six million people have reported to be living with diabetes in Nigeria. In this paper, the authors conducted a survey of educated and non-educated individuals on the awareness of diabetes and of its complications. Our results show that while there is no significant difference in the awareness of the disease, the educated group showed more awareness of its complications. Based on our results, we conclude that an effective healthcare promotional strategy should aim for awareness of both the disease and its complications. Mere awareness of the disease without cognizance of its complications will not be effective in improving healthcare in developing countries such as Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NGO sector has been widely criticised for their failure to demonstrate the ideals of partnership in practice, especially between INGOs and their local NGOs in developing countries. Previous literature asserts that conventional partnership often fails to demonstrate its ideals in practice because INGO donors wield enormous power and influence over their local NGO partners because of their control over funds. Using face-to-face interview, focus group discussion, participant observation and documents analysis, firstly, this paper investigates whether ActionAid Nigeria and its local NGO partners share a common understanding of the ideals of partnership? Secondly, it investigates whether these partnership ideals are actually demonstrated in practice. Empirical observations have shown that there is a common understanding of the key principles and values of partnership between the INGO donor and their local partners in Nigeria. In addition, the findings suggest ActionAid Nigeria and its local NGO partners are striving to demonstrate these ideals in practice. Also, the study suggests that the INGO donor and its local NGO partners are willing to promote mutual accountability in their partnership engagements to promote concrete changes in the lives of the beneficiaries of their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars from diverse disciplines have established how objective and subjective housing attributes influence occupants' housing satisfaction. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of age grouping on overall housing satisfaction with respect to private housing development in Abuja, Nigeria. Samples of 112 structured questionnaires were systematically administered to the occupants of Prince and Princes Housing Estate. Sixty-six were subsequently retrieved for analysis representing 74% response rate. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance was conducted, and the result indicates that there was a statistically significant difference for total housing satisfaction between age groups. A Tukey's post hoc test revealed that housing satisfaction was statistically significantly higher in the 61 and above age group in the sample. The result implies that there is a need to incorporate specific demographic changes such as in age groups in residential housing development and policy plan especially in developing countries. The study also contributes to further our understanding on the relationship between resident's socio-demographic characteristics and housing satisfaction. This paper represents first housing satisfaction studies that examines age factor to determine level of variation in housing satisfaction between various age groups in private housing development in the Nigerian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil companies have been facing criticism linked to their activities in developing countries from various human rights organizations as well as non-governmental organizations and the media. To change this negative perception, companies have been increasingly promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which aim at improving living conditions of local communities in oil exploitation areas. In this paper, we explore the impact on the well-being of communities of two kinds of CSR initiatives implemented in two areas of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Using multidimensional exploratory methods and checking for robustness using binary logistic regression, we investigate the outcome of CSR initiatives on individuals' empowerment, community participation, and access to basic capabilities such as education, health, shelter, electricity, water and sanitation. Our results show that there is a limited benefit in terms of human development for the population. However, the impact differs according to the strategy of implementation: ‘top-down’ non-participatory approaches to CSR extend the access to basic capabilities for some privileged socio-economic groups, while ‘bottom-up’ participatory approaches positively impact collective capabilities of the whole community, but these more recent initiatives have, to date, little effect on the expansion of basic capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental conservation strategies in most developing countries do not often consider local conditions. If local people's needs are incorporated in conservation efforts it would play an important role in sustainable management of protected areas. This paper reports a study of local people's preferences for biodiversity conservation management institutions that might motivate them to support conservation efforts in the Okwangwo Division of the Cross River National Park, Nigeria. The empirical data were generated from personal interviews and determinants of the respondents' preferences were analysed with a multinomial logit model. The results showed that most of the respondents preferred the institution that combines biodiversity conservation with development. Their preferences were influenced by income from farming activities, income from non-timber forest products and income from non-traditional employment. This study could contribute to knowledge of how to design biodiversity conservation strategies to increase support of more local people who reside in the vicinity of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of information communication technologies (ICT) in governance is growing rapidly in many parts of the world. Developing countries in Africa are also making efforts to harness the new technology. In this paper, we provide useful insights regarding the impediments and initiatives ore-government in Nigeria, a Sub-Saharan African (SSA) country. The main problems facing the emergence of e-government in Nigeria have their roots in socioeconomic inadequacies that have plagued several countries in the SSA region. Some of the problems discussed include poor organizational skills, attitudinal problems, inadequate infrastructural support, and poor or unavailable human capital resources. We also highlighted some of the progressive initiatives undertaken in Nigeria aimed at providing a suitable environment for the emergence of e-government. Our discourse noted plans and projects in Nigeria such as the development of a national IT policy, liberalizing the telecommunication sector, and IT awareness campaigns with innovations such as mobile Internet units (MIU) and the Public Service Network (PSNet). We highlighted the lessons from Nigeria for comparable nations in the SSA region as they prepare for e-government and outlined areas for future consideration to the policymakers and researchers, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a comparative analysis of the bureaucracy and administrative development of Bangladesh and Nigeria. The study finds some commonalities of the bureaucratic behaviors of Bangladesh and Nigeria that help to clarify some common features of bureaucracy in developing countries. Although the study of bureaucracies of Bangladesh and Nigeria attempts to highlight some common features of bureaucracies in developing nations, it also provides insights into explaining some potential differences between the bureaucracies and administrative systems of the two developing nations. The study also helps explain the role of bureaucracies in the administrative development of Bangladesh and Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the concept of managerial competence as applied in transportation management in developing and developed economies, using Boyatzis' (1982) model of effective job performance. Boyatzis postulated that effective performance of a job is the attainment of specific results or outcomes required by the job through specific actions while maintaining or being consistent with policies, procedures, and conditions of the organizational environment. Literature search and interviews with managers with extensive experience in Nigeria and the United Kingdom reveal that Boyatzis' constructs are valid within the developed economies. However, within the developing economies, it is found that modifications are required to accommodate cultural and socio-political realities and to match the skills of individuals with their current and future roles in an organization. The study also found that there are similarities in competency requirements between the two countries. It is concluded with a recommendation that management methods be adapted rather than adopted, via such strategies as the community concept approach which emphasizes, for example, on the job training with formal theoretical reinforcement at later stages, and that practical universality of management strategies may be a myth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Foreign construction firms dominate the major projects in most developing countries as a result of deficiencies in indigenous construction capacity. A plethora of measures have been formulated and implemented to promote development of domestic contractors in these countries, but most attempts have achieved little success. This paper, arising from a larger study on management training needs of contractors in Nigeria, describes findings on constraints on indigenous contractors' performance in the Nigerian industry. Contractor-development programmes perceived as relevant and appropriate to improve their performance in the industry are also reported. The views of indigenous contractors and professionals were compared. There was a strong agreement between both groups on the major constraints in the industry and on the measures perceived as most important for the development of Nigerian contractors. Problems emanating from the business environment were generally perceived by both groups as the most severe constraints. Contractor-development programmes, perceived as very important by both groups, are also the measures required to ameliorate the most important constraints identified: obtaining interim payments, uncertainties in supplies and prices of materials, inadequate access to capital, plant and equipment. Contractor development is inevitably an integral part of a construction industry development programme, given the nature of constraints and development needs emphasized by both groups. The focus therefore should be on establishing a comprehensive programme for the development of the construction industry. More attention should be placed on contractor training to promote management development of trained construction professionals, now emerging as the new crop of construction entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in pay and employment conditions might differ significantly among the various types of employers. In a developing country, such differences could be due to ascriptive factors which are enabled by the historical development of colonialism. As foreign employers continue to dominate indigenous ones, the latter are put at a disadvantage in the conditions offered to employees. This paper provides evidence on the strength and persistence of such features in Nigeria by attempting a differentiation of the assessments of employees of British multinationals and other types of employers in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the construction of national identity in the context of the post-9/11 counter-terrorism sanctions regime established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373. The study focuses on the written reports of three member states – Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria – arguing that these documents not only serve as inventories of national capacity but also as performances of national identity within a specific historical moment. Two overarching arguments are made. First, constructions of terrorism play a crucial discursive role in demarcating self from other in these reports, consistently portraying terrorism as an external and morally reprehensible threat to national security. Second, despite this relatively consistent framing of terrorist otherness, the reports contain creative and diverse reflections on, or articulations of, national identity and its associated characteristics. In making these arguments, the article contributes to existing literature on the post-9/11 UN counter-terrorism regime by offering an original reading of national submissions to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, focusing on relatively neglected states from the global South, and develops new conceptual insight into the plasticity of terrorism as a form of discursive otherness capable of sustaining diverse representations of national self-identity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forest communities of the developing world, reconciling the need to exploit non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and the concurrent need to preserve the same is a classic hallmark of sustainable development. Hence, the influence of pro-sustainability orientation on the exploitation of NTFPs in communities adjoining a forest reserve in the tropical rain forest region of southwestern Nigeria was examined. Proportional representation influenced the process of selecting 190 respondents from eight communities. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to analyze data. Results indicate that an overwhelming majority (83.7%) of respondents exploited firewood. Edible foods (75.8%), fodder (67.4%), medicinal plants (65.8%), small animals (62.1%) and food wrappings (66.3%) were among the NTFPs that respondents exploited the most. The exploitation of 9 of 13 NTFPs yielded an inverse relationship with pro-sustainability orientation, suggesting that these relations are sustainability-enhancing. The exploitation of 4 of 13 NTFPs yielded positively significant relations with pro-sustainability orientation, which is not in favor of sustainability. These NTFPS includes firewood, edible foods, medicinal plants, and food wrappings. The exploitation of subsistence-required-NTFPs is a huge limitation to sustainable exploitation. This populates a subsistence-exception theory of NTFP exploitation that embosses the need-for-sustenance determinism of unsustainable natural resource use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study complemented the debate for a better outdoor residential experience but gave a perspective from a developing country, using Ewet housing estate in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, as a case study. Combining field observation with a questionnaire, data obtained from 150 houses was analysed using descriptive statistics complemented with regression analysis. The results showed that over 60% of the houses were of high quality, however, they were overshadowed by the surrounding lacklustre open space areas. The visual quality of the organisation of the landscape elements had a very strong positive relationship with contribution to amenity value of the neighbourhood. Preference for outdoor activities with recreation, motivation to beautify the premises, and to have a good setting for the house all appeared as positive factors of poor quality development of a residential site. Non-availability of good site design/lack of specification by the housing authority for site development, and inadequate space and site problems, were found to be the major constraints affecting residential site development. The awareness factor had a strong positive relationship with the quality of site development. The study concluded by suggesting a conceptual foundation for improving the process and quality of residential site development in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the functionality of formal and informal economies globally, with developing countries suffering the social, political and economic effects of the pandemic. Economic downturns in the global south, including Nigeria, have given rise to declining state control in the face of human insecurity. This study, hinging on the neoliberal political economy thesis, examines the economic crisis and declining state control the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown engendered in managing the security situation in Nigeria. The study, utilizing the dominant qualitative methods, comprising interviews, focus group discussions, and documented evidence, highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown disproportionately affected the people, mainly poor people, households and communities in different parts of the country. The failure of the government to engage in an effective social protection policy generated discontent and led to criminal activities undermining security in Nigeria. The study concludes that the insecurity and economic crisis the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown engendered have weakened the state's authority in Nigeria. The study suggests that engaging effective social protection policy presents an opportunity for mitigating security challenges to bring about socioeconomic stability in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celebrity studies is an expansive and expanding field in European and American scholarship. Unfortunately, Africanist scholars have paid limited attention to this significant branch of scholarship. Drawing from varied secondary sources, including audio-visual materials, newspaper articles and journals, and books in the fields of celebrities and development, I examine Nigerian celebrity philanthropy in the age of internet technology. I argue that Nigerian celebrity philanthropy, given its mediatised nature and impact on its recipient, is a palliative measure to systemic and structural crises of poverty. I show that this individualistic effort only gives temporary respite for some of its recipients while others are left even worse off after their encounters with celebrities helping. My research sits at the crossroads of multiple fields in the humanities and the social sciences and offers a new direction for celebrity studies in the global South. Future research may examine individual Nigerian celebrity philanthropy while centring on gender, class, education, ethnicity, religion, and location in celebrity humanitarians in the global South, particularly in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the scope of elite transformation towards good governance in developing countries' polities is no doubt fastidious amid attendant context fluidity, institutional instabilities, and literature paucity. Nigeria's post-colonial polity has witnessed various structural changes, especially in political regime and economic resources. Since the 1999 transition to democracy, no regime breakdown occurred. Curiously, the Nigerian polity has been experiencing spasmodic ethnic clashes, the onslaught of the menacing Boko Haram terror group, the economy disruptive Niger Delta insurgencies, and acute youth discontent with protests often countered with violence by state security agents. Moreover, social infrastructure provision for economic growth and development remains extensively precarious or non-existent. Most vexingly, systematic knowledge about the transformability of the policy decisive and often-critiqued political elite is deficient or sparsely jumbled. Much has been extolled about governance per se, yet context-relative and data-oriented knowledge remain scanty. To what extent is the Nigerian political executive elite composition transforming towards good governance since 1999? The article focuses on the Nigerian political elite transformability through good governance lenses and practices. It draws from relevant elite theories and governance approaches that underscore the methodology. It contends that the political elite innovation remains stagnant, despite relevant structural changes. The findings reveal insignificant elite dynamics towards good governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to critically evaluate the challenges of supply chain management in Nigeria's construction industry from a lean construction perspective. This research is based on mostly closed questions in a structured questionnaire, to align with the exploratory nature of the study. The theoretical part of the research is based on several publications on construction supply chain management (CSCM). According to the findings of this study, a ranking of challenges inhibiting supply chain management in the Nigerian construction industry based on respondents' opinion, using severity index analysis, revealed that the top two most severe challenges are slow IT adoption in material flow management and below-par worker training and motivation. In conclusion, the research objectives of this study were achieved, and these evaluated lapses must be considered before starting a construction project to ensure productivity. Further studies can be conducted in other developing countries where this study has not been conducted before, particularly in Africa for comparative purposes with the result obtained in Nigeria. This will enhance the knowledge of construction supply chain management. Similarly, some of the unique elements discussed in this study can be adopted as corrective measures, and further studies can as well discover more unique corrective measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of waste glass is a huge environmental challenge in Nigeria and most developing countries. This study evaluates the influence of using Waste Glass Fines (WGF) as an asphalt filler to improve the Rigidity Ratio (RR) of asphaltic concrete. As stand-alone fillers in hot asphalt mixtures, the performances of quarry dust and waste glass powder were compared. The effect of waste glass as a partial replacement for quarry dust on the rigidity ratio of asphalt mixtures was then assessed using the Marshall Stability method. An optimum bitumen content (OBC) of 5.0% was established for the control specimens. Quarry dust (QD) was partially replaced with Waste Glass Fines (WGF) at 5% to 100% replacement levels. Results showed that while stability, Flow, and VMA at 5% OBC were found to satisfy the minimum requirement of typical Marshal Design Criteria for QD and WGF fillers, and Air Voids and VFB did not meet minimum specification. For QD+WGF samples, an optimum WGF content of 10% was found to give satisfactory results for both binders and wearing courses. The air voids were reduced, while VFB increased. The resistance of the mix against permanent deformations measured by the rigidity ratio or Marshal Quotient at this optimum WGF was 1.49KN/m². This value is higher than those at 100% QD (1.33kN/m²) and 100% WGF (0.84kN/m²), Increased MQ values indicated a stiffer mix capable of spreading the applied load and resisting creep deformation. This indicates that Waste Glass Fines can improve asphalt resistance to permanent deformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research on developing countries highlights a link between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and development, albeit from different standpoints about the nature of such a link and the way that desired benefits may be achieved. Prompted by arguments about the developmental potential of ICTs, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has embarked on a mission to computerize all ministries and increase the level of adoption and use of ICTs in the country. This strategy involves the introduction of a wide range of information systems within different governmental organizations and relentless efforts at promoting them. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is one of several organizations targeted by this e-government initiative. We draw on research that highlights the role of institutions in the adoption and use of IT innovations to examine two attempts by the INEC to introduce an electronic voters' registration (EVR) system. These efforts were intended to provide a more credible electoral process, leading to increased citizen participation in future voting exercises and the adoption of EVR as the status quo. However, despite a number of interventions promoting the innovation, these efforts failed to institutionalize the EVR system, which was poorly perceived after the elections amidst reports of high levels of electoral malpractice. We conclude by reflecting on the limitations in this context of institutional interventions and suggest some implications for policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on interviews with 1,535 children (aged 8–14 years) in urban Nigeria, this study introduces two new measures of child labor—child's ownership of business and control over earnings—to supplement the conventional use of a child's hours of work and to create a wider understanding of child labor. It examines the causes of child labor and how these measures vary by parental socioeconomic status. Study of this relationship is important for a deeper understanding of the varying patterns of child labor, as well as for clarifying the cultural and economic socialization of children. Our findings show that children of parents with higher socioeconomic status are more likely to own businesses rather than assist parents. These children are also more likely to keep and spend their work earnings. Our results also offer strong support of the poverty hypothesis and the socialization theory, which are often used to explain child labor in developing societies. Furthermore, our results indicate that children of parents with higher levels of socioeconomic status work fewer hours. These findings have implications for regulating child labor and for alleviating its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Militancy is a continuing process in many developing regions where entrepreneurial activities in the informal economy have the potential to transform lives leading to sustainable development through local initiatives. Often militancy originates in protest against global encroachment and defending the livelihoods of local communities. Yet this leads to detrimental effects on such initiatives. The study focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Niger Delta in Nigeria and looks at how the lessons learned may be used in other developing regions facing similar issues. Findings suggest how violent conflict resulting in an adverse impact on enterprise development can be mediated by collective actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the public draws most of its information on scientific issues from the media, studies of media coverage of climate change have proliferated. Here, we analyze whether newspapers in developing countries frame climate action as an adaptation or mitigation issue. Mitigation refers to activities to reduce or prevent carbon emissions whereas adaptation refers to activities to adjust economic and social systems to the effects of climate change. To this end, we conduct a comparative quantitative analysis of climate change news framing in newspapers from two carbon locked-in developing countries: Nigeria and Turkey. Our first research question is whether newspapers in the two countries frame climate change as a mitigation or adaptation issue. Our second research question is whether there is a relationship between the use of foreign sources and the use of a mitigation frame. We find more adaptation framing in Nigerian newspapers whereas adaptation and mitigation frames are more evenly seen in Turkish newspapers. We also find that the use of foreign sources in news with a climate action frame is negatively correlated with the use of an adaptation frame in our sample. Our findings improve understanding of the factors shaping climate change communication in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We examine the applicability of the competitive cumulative capability model among firms in developing economies within the context of the manufacturing industry. We specifically investigate whether the pattern in which competitive capabilities are pursued differs among firms in different developing countries, as well as whether these firms pursue their capabilities in a cumulative fashion. Using a global dataset and focussing on firms in three developing countries that are geographically dispersed – Nigeria, India, and Vietnam – we investigate relationships for firms both within and across countries. Although notions of the cumulative capability model were confirmed, the pattern of the progression is different among firms in the three countries studied. The findings suggest that firms in different developing countries exhibit different manufacturing strategies based on their relative location to their performance frontier, their country's current state of economic development, as well as the extent of western manufacturing influence in each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Least developed countries, with their unique governance and political-economic conditions, face uncommon and under-researched transboundary hydropolitical issues. We analyze the impact of power and political change on the adoption of the Transaqua water transfer megaproject in Central Africa using process tracing and analysis of documents, interviews and fieldwork. We present the key actors and their interests and argue for the central role of the Nigerian leadership in driving Nigeria's state power and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Discourses of 'legitimation' and 'urgency' are two framings used to justify the Transaqua project and expedite its construction, shaping our understanding of the political strategies underlying the speedy adoption of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of psychoactive substances constitutes one of the leading social problems confronting students. Some gender differences have been reported in the use of substances. Aim and objectives: To identify the gender differences in substance use among students in Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 763 students of Imo State University Owerri. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain the socio-demographic data and information on the reasons, and consequences of substance use. Results: A total of 763 students were studied. More males used substances compared to females (χ2 = 10.6, p˂0.01). More females used psychoactive substances out of curiosity (51.9%), and because a family member used psychoactive substance (55.7%). More males used psychoactive substances to be accepted by friends (χ2 = 7.33, p˂0.01), to make life more enjoyable (χ2 = 18.6, p˂ 0.01), to appear bold and strong (χ2 = 21.7, p <.01), and to cope with the stress (χ2 = 6.52, p˂0.01). Skipping classes regularly (χ2 = 6.98, p˂0.01) and being charged for sexual molestation (χ2 = 5.64, p˂0.02) were more among those who abused substances. Conclusion: There are differences in the rate and reasons for the use of psychoactive substances between the genders. In the design of preventive approaches in students, these should be borne in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethics and accountability are strong indices for measuring commitment to economic development. Development continues to elude developing countries, particularly Nigeria mainly because of corruption, unethical behavior, and accountability crisis in governance. This article intends to analyze governance crises in developing countries, focusing on Nigeria case, in order to understand their natures, and also utilizes resource curse, defective federalism, anomie, low risk-high benefits theories, and field data to provide explanations to governance crises. The findings reveal that; nepotism, societal pressures, low remuneration, seeming lack of punishments for involving in corruption among others are the causes of governance crises in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, there has been little commercial sale of vegetatively propagated crop seed, except for potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). This is especially true in developing countries. However, a formal, commercial seed sector for cassava (Manihot esculenta) is emerging in Nigeria. In 2016, a project, Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System in Nigeria (BASICS), started to encourage village farmers to certify and sell cassava seed. A questionnaire survey of 30 cassava entrepreneurs across Nigeria in 2019 included some of those village-based growers as well as larger producers, including some who certified their planting material. In the long run, if there is a consistent demand for certified cassava seed, medium-sized producers may be able to satisfy some of that demand, especially if they have continued programmatic support; otherwise, these budding seed entrepreneurs may close down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]